Crunch time in Württemberg

One of Germany’s largest wine regions is grappling with change. Clemens Gerke reports.

Heilbronn, Württemberg (Photo: Manuel Schönfeld - stock.adobe.com)

Despite being the fourth-largest wine region in Germany, Württemberg is not a name that often falls from wine lovers’ lips. This is, surprisingly enough, because it has pleasant weather. Württemberg, located in the south-west of the country, is warm, making it an ideal place to grow red grapes. However, the world looks to Germany for white wines, and Württemberg’s specialty grape, Trollinger, has fallen out of favour. Cultivated on steep, sunny slopes, it’s hard to grow and harvest, making it increasingly uneconomical.